Nick Young could return Tuesday for Lakers

Nick Young's recovery from torn ligaments in his right thumb is ahead of schedule, and the Los Angeles Lakers bench unit could get a huge boost much sooner than anticipated. Young said he could return as soon as Tue. Nov 18 when speaking with Lakers reporter Mike Trudell following the Lakers' loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Young wasn't expected to return until late-November at the earliest, but an early-December date seemed more likely. Now, he could return during the Lakers' three-game road trip, which begins with a game against the Atlanta Hawks, and includes visits to the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets.

The Lakers' bench has struggled to space the floor, combining for just 10 made threes over eight games, or 1.25 three-pointers made per game. Young connected on 2.1 threes per game on his own last season, and he should provide some much needed offensive firepower to Los Angeles' bench production.

Young's return hasn't been confirmed yet, though he hopes to practice over the weekend. There should be a clear answer as to whether he's ready to make his season debut before tip-off on Tuesday.